[ad_1]
The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra fired its principal flautist, months after distancing itself from its social media posts that spread disinformation questioning the safety of coronavirus vaccines, the effectiveness of face masks and the result of the 2020 presidential election.
The orchestra has only offered an outline of its decision to fire Emily Skala, but her statement suggests there have been multiple violations of several policies. Leaked emails at Skala’s workplace have also come under scrutiny.
BSO President and CEO Peter Kjome said the musician was fired under the progressive discipline policy agreed with the Musicians’ Association of Metropolitan Baltimore.
“Ms. Skala has been disciplined in recent months for violating several policies; Unfortunately, she repeated the conduct for which she had been penalized previously, and the termination was the necessary and appropriate reaction to this behavior,” said the BSO press release.
The dismissal comes about six months after the orchestra publicly berated her for controversial social media posts. She had been suspended from duty and was informed by telephone on Tuesday that she had lost her job. The 33-year-old Baltimore Symphony veteran has consulted with lawyers and is exploring his options.
Asked about her social media posts spreading misinformation about the safety of the coronavirus vaccine, she said, “I did all of this mainly because I wanted to protect the orchestras across the country. I wanted so few people, so few musicians to be lost.
In a telephone interview on Wednesday with The Associated Press, she also suggested that the working relationship between her and the “young members” of the BSO had deteriorated over the past year. She claimed that younger colleagues had spread “false allegations” against her and expressed uncomfortable being on stage with her. She thinks the BSO should have reprimanded them.
“They [the BSO] curled up in the face of strong emotional reactions and they allowed emotional reactions to dominate the workplace, ”she said.
An incident that she said led to her dismissal happened on July 23, when she went to Meyerhoff Symphony Hall to hand in a tax form. She refused to wear a mask and had not undergone a Covid-19 test as required by BSO. She tried to open the door to give her form to a security guard. Skala said officials of the symphony orchestra interpreted this as a violation of the terms of the suspension preventing him from leaving the building.
She claimed that the BSO had violated her constitutional rights, including freedom of expression, and “had committed several crimes against me”.
Gautam Hans, an expert on technology law and free speech at Vanderbilt University, said a quick review of the basic facts suggests that the BSO flautist likely had a history of non-compliance with the practices of the company. He said the First Amendment generally applied to government, not private entities, and companies had a lot of leeway in their decisions.
“Of course, there could be a problem as to whether, as she claims, this case was rare or fabricated. But it’s much more a matter of labor law than a question of freedom of expression,” Hans said in an email.
In February, officials of the symphony orchestra released a statement saying they did not “endorse or support” the views expressed in Skala’s social media posts and added that his statements did not “reflect our core values or our code of conduct based on humanity and respect ”.
Skala’s dismissal was applauded by Melissa Wimbish, an opera singer and contemporary who publicly posted leaked emails Skala wrote to BSO players after an online meeting last year.
Critics said the content of Skala’s emails was racist and anti-Semitic, which she denies.
Among other things, Skala wrote that BSO should not publicly support the Black Lives Matter movement as it would be excessively “political,” adding that she believed it was a program run by Top Democrats and supported by billionaire philanthropist George Soros – a baseless conspiracy. theory.
“This behavior is particularly harmful to our community, not to mention the artists, patrons and visiting students. As a black woman who has been hired by the BSO on several occasions, it was painful to see the lack of action and care in dealing with this issue. It opened my eyes to a side of the organization that I didn’t know existed, ”she told the AP.
Wimbish, who is not a BSO member, said the symphony’s decision to fire Skala was a good first step in making it a “fairer place” for Baltimore, a predominantly black city.
[ad_2]
Source link